


Magic and Other Unavoidable Things

by SerenitysSwirl



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Familial Relationships, Fantasy, Horrorterrors - Freeform, Kingdomstuck, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-14 23:25:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4584126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerenitysSwirl/pseuds/SerenitysSwirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Weeks away from coronation day, John is taken from his room in the night. Feeling a sense of dread, Jade, twin of John and princess of Prospit, decides to take matters into her own hands and follow the trail. Friendships are formed, magic is spun, and discoveries are made along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Going MIA

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've posted anything on here so I thought "hey why not"? I think my writing has improved since then, so I hope this is a story I actually stick with. I'm aiming for it to be more on the short side. Maybeeee ten chapters....???? I really have no idea, don't listen to me.
> 
> Anyway, this is a fantasy/kingdom au where Jake and Jane are king and queen of Prospit and John and Jade are soon to take their places. I know they're siblings, the workings of royalty will be explained more later. Most of this story won't have much to do with that, though. But yeah, enjoy! Comments/Questions/Likes/Dislikes are always appreciated, just be polite!

The door is thrown open and Jade stumbles to a halt. The room in front of her was in a disarray: royal blue sheets tangled and strewn across the golden floor, a wooden chair upturned and smashed, windows wide open next to the torn curtains. Jade’s eyebrows raise in shock as she processes the shambles. She was confused when John hadn’t shown up for breakfast, but she’d shrugged it off. Now it was noon and it was obvious that her brother was missing.

Jade walks over to a dresser on the right wall, leaning down to pick up the stuffed bunny that had been kicked underneath the set of drawers. The slap of her feet against the ground was loud in the eerie silence of the room. Something was wrong. Holding the toy to her chest, Jade turns, still stunned, from the room. It wasn’t unusual for the Prospitian prince to sneak from the castle to avoid duties for a few hours, but never did he leave his room in such a sorry state.

Sunlight streams through the windows of the castle tower, igniting the gold passageway and casting the atmosphere in blinding oranges and yellows. Most of the building had thick curtains to block out the light during the day as it became painful to look at, but the twin heir and heiress kept their shared tower bright and airy at all times. As Jade rushes down the hallway, her shadow thin and stretched out against the floor beneath her feet, she thinks the cheery intensity of the light is inappropriate.

Jade reaches the spiraling stairs of the tower and rushes downward. Narrowing her eyes, Jade pushes aside her panic and focuses on taking the steps two at a time, heartbeat ringing in her ears. She had to alert the king and queen as soon as possible. Who knew how far away John had been taken by now.

A few people turn and watch in surprise as the princess bursts into a main hallway of the castle. Someone calls out to her, but Jade ignores them, tearing through halls and vaulted rooms, navigating the spacious castle from memory. Just as a small pain starts to form on the sole of her foot, Jade finds the throne room.

The king and queen perch on cushioned chairs atop a raised platform, listening to a knight that stands before them. Either side of the room is decorated with pictures of rulers past and their oil-painted eyes seem to follow Jade as she pushes past the knight. “Mom! Dad!” Jade says, voice ringing clear in the domed throne room.

Queen Jane stands as Jade approaches, her red-brown skin crinkling with worry around her eyes. “Jade, what is it?” she asks, resting a hand on her daughter’s arm.

“John!” Jade says, shaking her fist and realizing that she was still holding her brother’s bunny. She wasn’t even sure why she’d grabbed it in the first place. Maybe it was because John had hardly let go of it since their father gave it to him when they were toddlers. Something so sentimental, swept beneath a dresser. “He’s missing,” she continues, eyes going back and forth from one parent to another as the king joins them. “I went into his room and everything was messed with! I don’t know what happened.”

The queen pauses to gape, but King Jake addresses the knight still in the room. “You!” he says. “Get together some knights and start searching Prospit!”

As the knight bows and leaves, Jane grabs Jade by the shoulders and starts leading her towards the door. “Jade, I need you to go somewhere safe in the castle until we find John.”

Jade tries to protest as they make their way into a hallway, Jake following behind and sputtering angrily to himself. “Surely Derse was behind this dastardly deed! Sabotage! To think they’d land such a low blow,” he mutters.

“ _Jake_ ,” Jane snaps over her shoulder as she stops and pulls Jade to the side. “We don’t know who did this yet, we can’t go pointing fingers.”

“Ah…” The king nods, sheepish. “Yes, you’re right of course. One must count their eggs before blaming the fox! I’ll go check on the knights.” With that, he bounds down the hallway, light yellow cape flailing behind him. The king of Prospit was well-known for his exuberant demeanor.

Jade starts to follow, but Jane holds her back. “Jade,” the queen says, her icy blue eyes like daggers. If looks could kill, they would put Jane on the front line of every battle.

“But Mom--”

“No. John is missing and I can’t have the same thing happen to you.” Jane pulls Jade into a quick hug, kissing her cheek, then starts to back down the hallway. “I trust you to stay safe.” With that, the queen is gone, and Jade is left to fiddle with a golden seam on her floor-length dress.

Something seemed wrong. It was as if John had completely slipped out of Jade’s radar. She bites her lip with two prominent front teeth, contemplating that thought. She had no idea why her brother felt so distant, or how she was able to tell at all. Maybe it was a twin thing? Feeling a bit helpless, Jade wanders the castle, not wanting to return to her room, but unsure where to go. Concerned eyes of castle staff follow her as she walks the building in circles, but no one attempts to approach. The princess was known for lashing out at people when upset.

It was around her fourth lap of the castle’s passageways when Jade pauses at a dark wooden side door. She needed to talk to someone.

Slipping outside, Jade squints at the blazing sun. Due to her pitch hair being pinned-up, the heat hugs the back of her neck like a comforting scarf. The princess feels better to be out in the fresh Prospit air as she breathes in the smell of grass and honeysuckle. Jade had her own patch of garden that she tended to on her free time, but she was there to do something else.

This side of the castle was covered with the most foliage, a stone path weaving its way through extravagantly large bushes, vines, and other, more colorful, plants. It was the perfect protection from any passerby. If Jade were to be seen outside now, someone would surely send her back to her room. Jade hurries down the path, parallel to the castle wall.

Rolling green grass expands outward from the back of the Prospitian castle, small shacks and stables cropping up here and there. Clustered on the lawn were groups of knights, squires, and pages, though there was a noticeable shortage of knights. Some swung swords and shot arrows while others shouted orders.

Jade frowns, peering around the corner of the castle, hand resting on the yellow brick. She spots the person she was looking for quickly, his voice rising high over everyone else’s. Jade thought Karkat had always taken his position as squire way too seriously. Still, it was comforting to know her home was protected by headstrong people like him.

Before Jade has a chance to wave him over, Karkat spots her and his eyes grow wide. She sighs as the troll marches over to her, already anticipating one of his infamous rants. It was just one of many troublesome roadblocks that came with communicating with Karkat. As he approaches, the troll’s features become more distinct.

Trolls were similar to humans, but they also looked somewhat fairy-like. Each had pointy ears, sharp teeth, grayish skin, and coarse, black hair that defied all laws of gravity. They all also had unique horns and a signature base color. Karkat’s horns were short and stubby, going from dark red to bright red. The sclera of his eyes were the same bright red, but his irises were darker. Besides appearance and being more likely to be born with magical abilities, trolls were the same as humans and were regarded as such.

“What the FUCK do you think you’re doing out here?” Karkat says as he reaches her, pulling Jade behind the corner of the castle, blood-red eyes practically glowing in outrage. “The prince is kidnapped and you decide to go for a leisurely garden stroll? Get _inside_ dung-brain!”

Jade steps back and huffs, stomping a foot. “Karkat, I came to talk to you! I think something is wrong.”

“Oh really!” Karkat throws his arms in the air. “Thank the holy messiah you told me that, because I thought your sibling being stolen only weeks from coronation was a good thing! My mistake!”

Jade scowls, already regretting the conversation. “I just have a bad feeling. I want to find him myself!”

Karkat gapes, light glinting against his pointy incisors. “I should take you inside,” he says with a sigh, rubbing the area between his eyes. “I had no idea you were dabbling with the royal mead.”

“Ugh!” Jade shouts, not caring if anyone were to notice her at this point. “You’re always such a jerk! I shouldn’t have even talked to you. I’m leaving.”

Karkat rushes forward, grabbing Jade’s arm before she can storm away. “Wait! Goddammit, princess. If you’re going to leave, at least take someone with you. There’s Terezi...or maybe Tavros? Ha, who am I kidding. _Kanaya_ is more intimidating than that ass-kissing fluffball, and she’s a fucking seamstress.”

Jade yanks herself away from Karkat with a grunt. “Don’t insult my friends! Anyway, I’m leaving and you can’t stop me!” With that, the princess spins around, the back of her dress slapping Karkat’s ankle in her wake.

Paying no mind to Karkat’s protests as she stomps away, Jade makes up her mind. She would go out in disguise and comb the streets of her kingdom. Maybe she could find someone who had witnessed someone or something suspicious last night. There was a tingle in the back of her mind like some sort of premonition, but Jade wasn’t afraid. She was going to find her brother.


	2. Black and Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not even really sure how Sollux managed to get a cameo in this fic. He kind of just...popped up and was very unhelpful, and then kind of helpful. Then he left.
> 
> On a side-note, this chapter is longer than the first one! Which I'm very glad for :D

“I’m sorry I could be of no help, princess.”

Jade forces a cheery smile for what felt like the millionth time that day, turning away from the wide-eyed Prospitian with a light “thank you”. She starts back down the street, once again blending in with the swaying throng of civilians.

The sprawling kingdom of Prospit was lively, people bustling from one thing to another, kicking up dust from intertwining roads made of light brick. The busiest areas immediately surrounded the tall castle walls. Here, the buildings were towering and well-made, vendors with movable stands scattered about their bases. The citizens called to one another across the marketplace, laughing amongst the crowds. Chapel bells could be heard, ringing as the last few stragglers made their way inside. The air of Prospit was always filled with rich smells and boisterous conversation. On any other day, Jade would have stopped to buy the fresh produce or assist in cleaning up an overturned cart of cabbage, but her emerald eyes were ever-searching underneath the hood of her dark green cloak. She had scoured the streets that webbed outwards from the castle for a few hours, but she had no more clues than the ones she started with. That is to say, she had none.

Jade pauses next to a stand selling jewelry, inspecting a silver bracelet as she thinks to herself. The inner-area of the kingdom showed no luck. All the people she asked seemed to know nothing of the disappearance of Prince John, even the ones who actually recognized that she was the princess (her disguise wasn’t as foolproof as she’d hoped). John must have put up a decent fight, what with his bedroom looking like it had housed a small tornado for a week, but not enough to alert any potential witnesses. Sighing, Jade sets down the bracelet and starts heading south.

As Jade works her way through Prospit, the buildings begin to shrink, becoming more modest as she leaves the central area of the kingdom. Children play in the street, tossing balls and singing made up songs. A young girl waves at Jade as she passes and Jade smiles back, mood lightening just the slightest.

Houses grow sparse, thinning as Jade travels further south. The area around Prospit was cut into thirds. To the south lie a shimmering sea, tranquil and perfect for fishermen. To the north and northwest, thick trees blocked the landscape, expanding outwards for further than Jade had ever ventured and covering the rolling hills like a crochet blanket of green. The forest overflowed to the east, leaving room for a few large roadways for travel. Down those roads sat the kingdom of Derse, its tallest, black spire just visible from Jade’s bedroom window.

A glint of the ocean can be seen in the distance as Jade stops to talk to one more person. Jade approaches the troll, who was sitting atop a barrel outside a humble tavern. As it was the evening, only a handful of rambunctious patrons could be seen through the open door. Jade wrinkles her nose at the smell of sweat and alcohol.

The troll looks up from the journal in his hands, snapping it shut as Jade speaks. “Uh, hi!” she says, her face projecting an open and friendly smile despite her exhaustion. “I was wondering if you could help me with something.”

With a raised eyebrow, the troll’s mustard-colored eyes scan her face. “No.”

Jade frowns. Out of all the Prospitians she’d talked to today, she had not been shut down like that. “It will only take a minute,” Jade says, stepping forward and staring the troll in the eye in hope to look formidable.

“Oh,” the troll says, seeming to contemplate the situation. He stands and Jade straightens up with a grin. That is, until the troll pushes past her and begins to walk away. Frozen in indignation, Jade can only stand and stare for a few moments before scurrying around him and blocking his way. The troll beat Jade in height by a whole head or two, not even putting his set of four tall horns into consideration, but his lankiness was no match for her forceful nature.

“I’ll have you know,” Jade says, lowering her hood to better reveal her face, “that I am the princess, soon to be queen! What’s your name?”

The troll stops short, mouth twisting in a grimace. Still, his eyes showed confusion. “Sollux… Look, I don’t even live in Prospit, I’m just here for business,” Sollux says, tongue protruding from his jagged teeth and causing a slight lisp in his speech.

Jade slumps, drawing her hood back up. “I see…” she says, trailing off. She’d been searching all afternoon and still not a hint of her lost twin. Jade sighs, a weight dropping itself onto her shoulders. “There’s no way anyone all the way out here would have seen what happened anyway.”

Sollux opens his mouth as Jade turns to leave, but clamps it shut when she pauses. He glances side to side, looking less than excited about his next words. “Alright. _I_ can’t do shit about whatever the hell you’re talking about, but… if you’re looking for answers, there may be someone who can.” Sollux gestures over his shoulder at the alley between the tavern and the next building. “If you go through there, take a right, then a left, there’s a seer who set up shop. Kind of pricey, but you’re probably loaded anyway.”

“A seer?” Jade asks. The only seer she’d ever met was Terezi, hired by the king and queen to anticipate enemy thoughts and attacks, as well as any unrest from the people of Prospit. That didn’t sound very helpful for her situation. “Would they be able to tell me where my brother is?”

Sollux shrugs, looking indifferent once more, and starts to walk around the princess. “She’s an expert of thinking she knows everything, but she usually does.”

Jade nods, looking off to the gap in the buildings. Well, it was worth a shot. Any information at all would be a huge improvement from her otherwise fruitless day. When Jade turns back to Sollux to thank him, he’s already made his way down the street. “Thank you!” she calls anyway, receiving only a small flick of the wrist in acknowledgement.

The sun is just settling itself on the horizon as Jade strides through the short alleyway. She wondered if her parents were worrying about her yet. She didn’t want them to fear they had another lost child on their hands, but she couldn’t return home until she found John or knew he was safe.

The streets were sparse, only a few groups of people standing and chatting here and there as the light casts the air in a honey-like glow. No one pays Jade any mind while she takes the path right, as Sollux told her, then takes it left. Jade pauses in another small alley. The alley opens up to a large patch of grass that tapers off into a thick line of trees. On the grass was a tent, its material so black that it appeared to absorb light. The sun cast its beams on the structure straight on, as if it were trying to push the tent further away. Or maybe the tent was pulling in light and consuming it itself. Which was worse, Jade had no idea.

Licking her lips, Jade steps towards the tent, plain brown shoes compressing a path into the grass. She pulls back the swaying flap of the tent, eyes unable to see into the dark void in front of her. Jade pokes her head inside and, just as she is about to call out, she is interrupted by a smooth, feminine voice. “At risk of sounding cliche, I’ve been expecting you.”

Jade fumbles with the tent material, letting go in her surprise and dropping the door closed behind her. The circular area of the room is submerged into a dull darkness. As her eyes adjust, it is now that she notices a few lit candles scattered about on the ground, an empty patch of grass leading the way to a round, clothed table. A girl around Jade’s age is sat behind the table with a raised brow. “Perhaps I can assist you in finding what you need,” the mysterious girl says, dressed in loose purple and black cloth. “Please. Sit.”

“I… thank you,” Jade says with a hopeful smile, pulling out a chair on her side of the table and sitting down. Her eyes glance over the other girl. Her hair was cropped short and seemed to shine in the light of the candles set on the table. Her skin was colored like yellowed parchment, splotches marking her forearms and neck like spills of coffee and ink. The spots could have been freckles, if not for their larger size and black-gray tone. Her eyes were small and purple. Jade was comforted, and maybe also intimidated, by the fact that the girl had a never-wavering smirk on her black lips

“My name is Rose,” says the girl, fiddling with a stack of cards in one hand. “Let’s get to it, shall we?”

“Uh,” Jade says, “to what?”

Rose shrugs, tossing the card deck into the air and watching as they arrange themselves face-down in the air in front of her like a fan. The cards emit a bright white aura as they hover a few inches above the table and Rose wiggles her fingers over the top of them. Her eyelids are lowered and her violet eyes glow even in the dim lighting. “Choose three,” Rose says, voice formal, yet playful, as if this was all an unnecessary formality.

Jade nods, hand unhesitating as she grabs three random cards, each evenly spread out in the deck. She looks at the backing of them and admires the intricate, curling designs. Before she can take a closer look, Rose slips the cards from her hands and sets them on the table, facing up. She studies them for a second, and her constant smile twists downward. “No,” Rose mutters, reaching up to run a few nervous fingers down her cheek.

Shards of icy dread shoot through Jade’s chest and she sits up in her chair, eyes growing wide. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t be too late, could she? What horrible things were foretold for her? What horrible things were foretold for _John_? “What?” she asks, leaning forward. “What is it? What do you see?”

“Oh, it’s just…” Rose says, meeting Jade’s gaze with a startled expression. Rose licks her downturned lips. “I realized that card readings are bullshit.”

Silence rings out as Rose recollects the cards. Her smirk returns. Jade’s heart calms its rattling thumps against her ribcage as she takes a moment to collect her thoughts and understand what just happened. Soon, her heart is back to thunking away in her chest. “Hey!” she says, clenching her fists. “What was that?”

“A joke to break the ice,” Rose says, relaxing back into her seat. “But I can see it didn’t go over too well. I’ll keep that in mind for my next customer.”

Jade fumes, crossing her arms. How come everyone she came into contact with was so disrespectful? Today, on the day John goes missing. “Well, it wasn’t very funny! I’m not really in the mood for jokes, anyway, since I’m kind of on an urgent mission! Can you help me, or should I take my business elsewhere?”

“No, no,” Rose says, eyebrows raised, her own arms now crossed. “I will give you direction, princess. It is already foretold. I apologise if you thought there was option involved.”

About to go off on a rant once again, Jade pulls herself up short. ‘Princess’? “Wait, you recognized me and you still pulled that trick?”

“I’m from Derse,” Rose explains with a small shrug. “I didn’t recognize you. I am, however, a _seer_.” The way she says this implies a vast knowledge not yet revealed. Maybe that was the source of Jade’s feeling of intimidation, as well as the fact Rose was from her rival kingdom. Rose could prove to be useful, but was still scary. Jade takes a deep breath.

“Okay. Can you tell me where my brother has gone?” Jade asks, pulling her hands into her lap.

“No.”

“WH--”

“Shhh,” Rose says, stout finger held to her lips. “I cannot simply see _everything_ at any given time. The path of knowing only reveals itself when it is necessary to be known. There is no way for me to know where your kingdom’s prince is, but I do know that the winding road to finding him weaves its way… through Derse.”

Jade lowers her head and rubs at her face, eyes closed. “Oh nooo…” Jade had never been to Derse, and she preferred if it stayed that way. The people were known to be quick-witted and deceptive, some even dabbling in destructive dark magic. Not to mention the tension between her kingdom and theirs.

“Oh hush.” Rose rolls her eyes with slight irritation. “Derse and Prospit have been at a cold war for centuries. Sure, those centuries have been broken up by years of devastating _physical_ war, but you should receive no trouble for simply entering the kingdom.”

Jade grimaces, and her mind drifts off to the thought of her brother. John, with his bronze skin, thick, wild hair, and eyes the color of deep sapphire. John, who she shared so many inside jokes with. John, her dearest companion, always on the same page as herself. Jade knew what she had to do.

“Alright,” she says, rising to her feet, chin raised. “I will go to Derse. What do I do once I’m there?”

Rose lifts a pale eyebrow. “I’ve no idea. As I said, my sight can only extend so far.”

“Augh!” Jade resists the impulse to stomp her foot in frustration. Her mother always told her it wasn’t very reassuring to see your future queen acting like a stubborn toddler. Nonetheless, Jade still smacks her palm against the table, candles waddling in their stands and causing the light in the tent to wobble across Rose’s unimpressed face. “That’s not good enough! Come with me.” Truthfully, Jade should have taken someone from the castle along for her journey, but, in her rage and determination, she hadn’t. A seer would be extremely helpful, and Jade didn’t have time to run back home and get Terezi. Besides, surely people would be looking for her by now, and there was no way she could let herself be locked away while her cherished sibling was missing.

Rose shakes her head, pushing back her chair and standing, just an inch or two shorter than Jade. “No,” Rose says, holding up a hand when Jade takes in a quick breath to speak. “You see, people pay me to read futures and lend guidance. I simply can’t pack up and hit the road with, what I’m assuming, is runaway royalty. Not without an estimation of payment, of course.” Rose then moves her hand so that it’s horizontal and palm-up. A small flicker of irritation buzzes across Jade’s features, but she knew she had to pay Rose, no matter how difficult the other girl was being.

Jade reaches into her cloak, digging around the concealed bag hanging at her side and pulling out a velvety, drawstring pouch that jingles as it moves. Rose eyes the money, interested like a cat watching a slow-moving mouse. “I get paid up front, you know.”

Dropping the pouch into Rose’s outstretched hand, Jade nods. “And I have a Prospitian army. You will help me find my brother as best you can, okay?”

Rose holds the tinkling pouch to her stomach, gaze turning curious. “Of course. Speaking of that army, aren’t they looking for the prince? Why search for him as well? Seems awfully redundant.”

Jade glances to the side and asks herself that same question. The best way she could explain it was as if something small, like the buttons on her clothing or the chirping of birds, had suddenly blipped out of existence. Everything looked normal at first, only to reveal the irregularity upon closer inspection. A little piece of the galaxy, suddenly intangible. And that was John. Jade wasn’t sure what concerned her more: that John was completely and totally missing on a molecular level, or that she was able to perceive it in the first place.

Shoving away her concerns, Jade answers Rose. “Just a bad feeling, I guess! I mean, more than what would be expected.”

Rose accepts the answer, tucking her payment into a flowy fold of her clothes. “Fair enough. I’m never one to doubt premonition. I’ll just pack up my tent and we can leave for Derse. It should only be about a day’s worth of travel.”

Jade nods and decides to exit the tent as Rose starts to blow out the candles. Outside, the sun was already kissing the horizon, out of view and painting the clouds above in deep purples and pinks. Jade admires it with a small smile. The wind whips heavily against her cloak and skirt, pushing down her hood and teasingly tugging at some loose locks of hair. A few minutes later, the black sinkhole of a tent begins to collapse like a dying animal, marking the grass clearing like an oil spill. Jade breathes in her last deep lungful of Prospitian air, and then, shoulders squared, turns her back on the withering sun.


End file.
